Wireless device to manage cross-network telecommunication services

• US 7,298,833 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Integrated Cabinet Solutions, Inc. (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Klein, Mark D., Stelter, Ronald D., Brackbill, Douglas L., Manzo, Michael Scott, Kolbly, Michael J., Mahmood, Tamara Hills
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US11/238,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.02, 379/201.03, 379/201.07, 379/207.03, 379/207.05, 379/207.08, 379/207.12, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/213.01, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 379/201.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

A communication remote control system allows a user to remotely configure call management functions across various phone networks using a client device. The communication remote control system centrally handles call management for the user'"'"'s telephones. The communication remote control system may provide a centralized address book, call log, and voicemail. The user can specify various parameters including modes, filters, schedules, and the like, which are stored in the communication remote control system. The communication remote control system routes incoming calls made to the phone networks to the user'"'"'s delivery device, which may be part of the client device. Incoming calls are routed to a specified telephone number, sent to voicemail, or otherwise disposed of or users can change modes manually or can specify automatic mode selection based on time of date, day of week, location, and/or other factors.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for handling incoming communications to a user, comprising:

for at least one user activity mode;

determining at least one communication management directive to be associated with the user activity mode for each of a plurality of communication networks;

storing in a database separate from the plurality of communication networks, the association between the communication management directive and the user activity mode;

responsive to a communication being initiated to one of a plurality of user addresses associated with the user and with one of the plurality of communication networks;

determining a current activity mode for the user;

retrieving the stored association for the current user activity mode;

responsive to the retrieved association and responsive to a determination as to which user address was used in initiating the communication, determining which communication management directive applies to the initiated communication; and

providing the applicable communication management directive to said one of the plurality of communication networks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the communication networks is selected from the group consisting of a PBX, a central office, and a wireless service center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one user address comprises a telephone number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each user address comprises a telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a telephone call and wherein the communication management directive comprises a call management directive for processing the telephone call by the communications network corresponding to the user address used in initiating the communication.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprises routing the call at a communication network associated with the user address used in initiating the communication.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein an originator of the call comprises a caller, the method further comprising:

responsive to the call being initiated to a user address associated with the user;

determining whether caller identification is available;

responsive to caller identification not being available;

prompting the caller for identifying information; and

receiving input from the caller providing identifying information;

and wherein determining which communication management directive applies comprises determining a communication management directive responsive to the identifying information and to the retrieved association.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein a first user address associated with the user is associated with a first telephone network and a second user address associated with the user is associated with a second telephone network different from the first telephone network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the telephone networks is selected from the group consisting of:

a wireless telephone network;

a PBX network;

an LEG network; and

a SoftSwitch network.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending the call to a destination device associated with a current location of the user, said location being different than a destination device associated with the user address.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

selecting, responsive to the applicable call management directive, for each of a plurality of destination devices associated with the user, a corresponding one of a plurality of audible rings, each of the selected rings being different than the other selected rings;

generating the selected rings in corresponding destination devices responsive to the telephone call.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a communication management directive comprises receiving user input specifying a communication management directive for a user activity mode.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving user input specifying a communication management directive comprises receiving the directive via a web-based user interface.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving user input specifying a communication management directive comprises receiving the directive via a mobile telephone.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input specifying a current user activity mode.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input specifying a time period for an activity mode, and wherein determining a current activity mode comprises determining whether the current time is within the specified time period.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input specifying an activity mode for each of a plurality of time periods, and wherein determining a current activity mode comprises determining which of the specified activity modes corresponds to the current time.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input specifying at least one condition for an activity mode, and wherein determining a current activity mode comprises determining whether the at least one condition is satisfied.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one condition is selected from the group consisting of location, speed, ambient environmental condition, detected user activity, and manual selection.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one communication management directive comprises detecting the user'"'"'s usage patterns with respect to a communication device.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing the communication to a destination device specified by the applicable communication management directive.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein routing the communication comprises connecting to a telephone number specified by the applicable communication management directive.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein routing the communication comprises connecting to a voicemail messaging system.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein determining which communication management directive applies to the initiated communication comprises determining a real-time mapping between user activity mode and communication management directive.

25. A computer-implemented method for handling incoming communications to a user, comprising:

receiving from the user, via a first communication network, a set of rules for selecting from a plurality of a communication management directives for a plurality of second communication networks and for a plurality of user addresses associated with the user;

storing said set of rules;

responsive to a communication being initiated by an originator to one of the plurality of user addresses associated with the user via one of the second communication networks, providing to said second communication network at least one of the rules to select a communication management directive for the communication; and

routing the communication according to the selected communication management directive to a third communication network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein routing the communication includes routing information related to the communication to the first communication network.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein routing the communication includes routing the communication to either the first or the third communication network according to the selected communication management directive.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein each rule comprises a set of parameters selected from the group consisting of:

a user activity mode;

an originator identifier;

a user location;

the user address used to initiate the communication;

input received from the originator; and

input received from the user.

29. A system for handling incoming communications to a user, comprising:

an input device, for receiving for at least one user activity mode at least one communication management directive to be associated with the user activity mode for each of a plurality of communication networks;

a user profile database separate from the communication networks, for storing the association between the communication management directive and the user activity mode; and

a communication management module, communicatively coupled to the user profile database, for, responsive to a communication being initiated to one of a plurality of user addresses associated with the user and with one of the plurality of communication networks;

determining a current activity mode for the user;

retrieving, from the user profile database, the stored association for the current user activity mode;

responsive to the retrieved association and responsive to a determination as to which user address was used in initiating the communication determining which communication management directive applies to the initiated communication;

providing the applicable communication management directive to said one of the plurality of communication networks; and

a communication routing device, communicatively coupled to and separate from the communication management module, for routing the communication according to the applicable communication management directive.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the communication routing device comprises a switch.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one user address comprises a telephone number.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the communication comprises a telephone call and wherein the communication management directive comprises a call management directive.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the communication routing device comprises a destination switch associated with the user address.

34. A system for handling incoming communications to a user, comprising:

a plurality of communication networks, each communication network generating communication initiation information in response to a communication initiated to a user address associated with the user and with said communication network and routing said communication responsive to a communication management directive associated with the user address; and

a remote calling management system coupled to and separate from the communication networks, the remote calling management system comprising;

an input device, for receiving for at least one user activity mode at least one communication management directive to be associated with the user activity mode for each of a plurality of communication networks and for a plurality of user addresses associated with the user;

a user profile database, for storing the association between the communication management directive and the user activity mode; and

a communication management module, communicatively coupled to the user profile database, for, responsive to the communication initiation information;

determining a current activity mode for the user;

retrieving, from the user profile database, the stored association for the current user activity mode;

responsive to the retrieved association and responsive to a determination as to which user address was used in initiating the communication, determining which communication management directive applies to the initiated communication;

providing the applicable communication management directive to said one of the plurality of communication networks for routing the communication according to the applicable communication management directive.

35. A device for remotely configuring handling of incoming communications to a user, comprising:

an input system for receiving for at least one user activity mode at least one communication management directive to be associated with the user activity mode for each of a plurality of communication networks;

a transmit system for transmitting the at least one communication management directive to a communication remote calling system; and

a receive system for receiving a communication initiated to one of a plurality of user addresses associated with the user and with one of the plurality of communication networks responsive to at least one communication management directive associated with a current activity mode for the user.